Kari Rae

My husband and I were married last November (11/11/11..woop woop!), and I spent the following week moving into his house. Over the past year, we have done numerous, and I mean numerous projects to make this house our home.
It's been crazy, stressful, messy, difficult, fun, exciting, embarrassing, and busy busy busy...but I'm SO pleased to be creating this post!!!!

The tiniest little island with a closet attached. This closet (on the left...I wish we had a better photo!) was right smack-dab in the middle of the room, blocking the view into the kitchen. Cooking or being in the kitchen forced you to be completely removed from whatever was happening in the other room - you coudn't see a thing!

Again, the little island. The big white thing on the right of this image is that closet. So awkward.

AND THEEEENNNNNNNN.....

We got a new sink with a normal faucet! We replaced the stove with a new & pretty black one! We got granite countertops! We painted the walls my favorite happy color!

We knocked out the closet!!!!!! This was a HUGE one. It led to tearing up the carpet and putting in gorgeous dark hardwood floors, adding a bar to the island, and a little wine rack built in as well. Such a lovely space for working and eating!

Having the raised bar on the island is a dream. I absolutely love it.

(oops, we still need the trimboards on the floor.) Gorgeous hardwood floors! They put me in a happy place. :)

And one big Before & After all put together...because I can. And it's fun to compare them "side by side" like that!

One big huge shout-out goes out to my handsome handyman husband for the hundreds of hours he put into this place! And our friend Jordan for doing the countertops. I'm obsessed with them. :) THANK YOU!!!!